Calvatia booniana
The giant puffball of the interior western United States has become a
favorite of mushroom collectors in recent years. The large size and
excellent culinary qualities of this puffball make it a much sought
after item. In our area this big puffball is most frequent in the
foothills or lower mountains, often in pastures or grassy areas,
sometimes with Aspen or even in aspen-spruce forests. In prairie areas
to the north and east of us it occurs in fairy rings—sometimes of great
diameter. Large specimens up to 30cm diameter can be found, although
specimens near basketball size are much more common. Since they often
repeat year after year in the same location, collectors can have a heavy
impact on these giants of the fungal world. It is always good practice
to leave a fruiting body to insure future reproduction. We know too
little about long term reproduction of such fungi to over-collect them.
Although some people apparently find these fungi of limited culinary
interest, I have always liked them. Cooked after the fashion of
eggplant, they have a hearty, satisfying quality, perhaps more due to
texture and bulk than to flavor. Since there is nothing else that looks
remotely like a giant puffball, its a safe choice for beginners if one
remembers that the flesh mush be pure white with no traces of yellow or
olive. The latter colors mark the beginning of enzyme activity that
ultimately results in the puffball "digesting" itself, a sort of process
of self absorption.
It has been shown that the spore case of a giant puffball produces
billions of spores, and if the spores were all to germinate and grow, the
world shortly would be overwhelmed with giant puffballs, a fate perhaps
preferable to that of being overwhelmed by yuppies.
Notes:
• Bill Isaacs' original manuscript had the genus
spelled "Clavatia" rather than Calvatia: perhaps just a typing error.
• Learn more about Calvatia booniana at MushroomExpert.Com